Innovative methods of enhanced oil recovery

Abstract

The production of oil and gas from hydrocarbon reservoirs with the aging of these reservoirs makes them consuming their natural production energy and become depleted. Then, conducting researches and investigations to use other energy resources to improve oil production becomes an urgent need. The article presents the general directions of methods for enhancing oil recovery and focuses on steam-thermal methods. Based on the classification of enhanced oil recovery methods, it has been shown that thermal methods (in particular, thermal steam) are the most favourable when applied in fields with a depth of about 1000 meters. The technology of cyclic steam injection is presented and the main stages of this process are indicated. Recommendations on the technology of steam-thermal treatment are given. For example, two oil fields have been selected to show the efficiency of the use of thermal steam treatment for reservoirs with high-viscosity oils.